A new learning communiy, Collective Action & Responsibility (CAR), will occupy one floor of the new Colonnades residence hall near the Koury Business Center next year.

Co-advisers Stephen Schulman, assistant professor of philosophy, and Kathleen Edwards, assistant director of the Kernodle Center for service learning, arrived at Elon this year with similar interests in social justice, human rights and resistance movements.

“College students have so much power when it comes to dealing with social justice issues,” Edwards said. “Take a look at Invisible Children – it was founded by three college students. Our hope is that the learning community will allow the members to feel empowered to respond to injustice.”

CAR is the ideal way to give students a chance to examine their role in the global community according to Schulman and Edwards.

“Kathleen and I both sat down and said we want students to know what goes on in this world, so they can be connected in a way that they will see possibilities for positive action,” Schulman said. “The idea is to think of this as a chance to become global citizens with responsibilities.”

The community will focus in depth on one issue each year as chosen by the students. This issue could cover anything from the current situation in Darfur to immigration issues in North Carolina.

Members of the learning community will also have the opportunity to travel in relation to the year’s particular focus. The trip, co-organized by the advisers and students, will alternate between a national and international location every year.

Schulman and Edwards want to take students to sites of both the worst actions that human beings do to each other, as well as the best. Though traveling is not required, it is strongly encouraged.

“If we come back and haven’t learned something unexpected, if not shocking, we will have failed to have been open to what is really going on,” Schulman said.

The learning community will provide a safe and comfortable space for students to reflect upon returning to Elon.

Schulman and Edwards are anxious for the program to begin.

“We don’t really know what we will see or learn,” Schulman said. “It’s certainly a challenge to be a part of something new.”

Schulman says there is nothing more community building than eating together, so applicants should expect plenty of community dinners.

Collective Action and Responsibility Information

Final Information Session:

7:23 p.m. Feb. 21 in Moseley 221C

Online application:

www.elon.edu/e-web/students/reslife/selection2006/learningcommunities.xhtml.

For more information:

Contact Stephen Schulman at sschulman@elon.edu or Kathleen Edwards at

kedwards7@elon.edu.

Reporter: Ashley Dischinger - 02/15/07